FRANCE...Montlouis-sur-Loire...(6)

When visiting the Loire Valley in the French countryside my friend R took me to so many beautiful villages and towns and Montlouis-sur-Loire was one of them. Montlouis-sur-Loire is situated next to the Loire river. The Loire Valley is known for it's white wines and the Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir are the principle grapes of this region.

Montlouis-sur-Loire is a quaint town with narrow streets to stroll around and discover lovely restaurants, bakeries, flower shops, etc. 

A beautiful iron gate in the town of Montlouis-sur-Loire....one can't help to wonder what goes on behind this gate? I believe this property belongs to an artist....it makes it even more interesting! Doesn't it?

A beautiful view over the Loire river...

Till next time when I will share more about the Loire Valley.

All images taken by me

FRANCE...My favorite corners at R's home...(5)

Visiting the french countryside was even better than I could ever think or dream it would be....I fell in love with my friend R's home and garden and this picture above is probably my most favorite corner.....it is a cave in the back of her garden where we enjoyed some lunches and dinner's, chatting and laughing about life!

A quiet place to relax with the sound of water dripping from a fountain.......

Some steps up to a terrace.......

Some fresh basil in a quiet corner.....

A sunny and inviting corner in R's kitchen where we enjoyed special times sharing and eating delicious meals......

We had many late evenings relaxing in this lovely living room with a warm cup of café au lait and chocolates.....

Till next time.......

All images taken by me

FRANCE...A Dream Comes True!!...continues...(4)

One thing I have learnt from my friend R and the french is that the food is simple but absolutely delicious!!
We visited the fresh markets almost daily and the fruits, vegetables, fish, cheeses, etc. were so fresh. I couldn't believe how sweet the peaches and apricots were. R would buy a bag of apricots and peaches and we would sit in the car and eat them right there with the juices running down our fingers and dripping onto our laps......

Since I have visited the french countryside I started to buy all our fruits and vegetables from local farmers and not in the supermarkets. I have noticed that is is so much cheaper and tastier.

This was our lunch one afternoon.....it was fresh, crispy salad with some left over roast chicken R made us the previous evening and some roasted peppers with créme frâiche, roasted pine nuts and a mustard dressing. We had fresh baguette bread and a selection of cheeses as well. It was so healthy and delicious!

Notice the red peppadews in the salad with mint water........

I will share some more on the food of R and the french next time......I hope this post inspired you to buy from your local farmers and eat more healthy!

All images taken by me

FRANCE...A Dream Comes True!!...continues...(3)

I have such great memories of my visit to the french countryside and one of the highlights was sitting in R's beautiful garden watching her two cats and hens enjoying every corner of this pretty environment. R's two hens, Tartelette and Omelette arrived the same day as I did and they still had a lot of exploring to do.....

Tartelette and Omelette enjoying the wild roquette in the garden....... These two hens are so sweet and I am so inspired to get my own two hens back here in the USA. This will be something new for me but I am determined to make it work and I learnt a lot from R..... They had five star meals everyday and she just showered them with so much love.....

And then there are the precious cats....Tokala and Aiyani.......they are two of the most loving cats I have ever met. Aiyani took a while before she trusted me but Tokala came to me from day one and I must admit that she made me feel good because when I studied for a teacher years ago they told us not to study teaching if pets and children run away from you.....

Tokala.....

Aiyani.....

To me....France would not be what I dreamt it to be without kitty cats, hens, lavender, blue shutters, etc. and I am so grateful that I could experience all of this in R's lovely garden with a café au lait in my one hand....!!

Till next time when I continue with the rest of my visit to the french countryside.....

Image 2 & 3 taken by R and all other images taken by me

FRANCE...A Dream Comes True!!...continues...(2)

When I think about my visit to the french countryside and why I enjoyed my visit so much a few things come to mind.......it was the lovely homes with blue shutters, beautiful gardens, fresh fruits and vegetables at the markets, the delicious pastries, fresh breads and wonderful cheeses, the quaint villages and of course the people that made my stay feel like a dream!

My special friend R was the perfect host, from the word "go" she made me feel so welcome. She is such a good cook, gardener and home maker......and the two of us never had a dull moment!

A beautiful and quiet corner in R's garden.....

French lavender........everything smelled so wonderful in her garden!

What a joy of life it was to sit and relax in this beautiful garden with its lovely smells of lavender, rosemary and basil, beautiful quiet corners, the sound of water dripping from a fountain with a special friend that made me feel so welcome........THE JOYS OF LIFE!

Till next time when I continue with my journey in the french countryside..........

All images taken by me